Abstract: A mini-garden bag, adapted to lie on a relatively flat surface, contains a suitable plant mix of nutrients appropriately fertilized and pH-adjusted as desired. The bag is pre-marked to be slit through at intervals (a) on its top surface to admit seeds or seedlings and water, and also (b) on its bottom surface to drain excess water. The absorption/reflectivity of the bag surface can be modified by the grower, as desired, by peeling away and/or by reattaching shiny or dark strips of the bag's exposed surface, to adjust the effect of sunlight on the interior temperature, thereby enabling growers to accentuate or to counter prevailing climate or some changes therein.

Abstract: Fuel gas production by underwater arcing bubbles up from the vicinity of the arc and is collected by an overlying hood and used or stored for use as a fuel, as in operation of a cutting or welding torch, or in operation of an internal-combustion engine. A reactor or production unit for such fuel gas contains a body of water, which may be open to the ambient atmosphere and be at ambient temperature. The arc is established in a spark gap between carbon electrodes and is facilitated by introduction of successive carbon rods end-on into the spark gap, as by dispensing them successively from a magazine.

Abstract: Mechanically or electrically driven vehicles suitable for air, land, or sea transport are operated substantially pollution-free on a fuel gas derived by pyrolysis of carbon and water via underwater arcing between electrodes, optionally on-board. A carbon rod may serve as an electrode or preferably be inserted end-on between a plurality of electrodes, preferably composed of graphite. The fuel is combusted in an engine having mechanical output useful directly as motive power for the vehicle or indirectly to operate a generator of electrical output to motors driving the vehicle motive means.

Abstract: Modification of phosphoric acid manufacturing provides improved process waters: decontaminated water pH-adjusted to be only slightly acidic, scrubber process water, gypsum stack water, and a composite of the latter two waters. The composite water undergoes two-stage neutralization with clarification, eliminating precipitatable contaminants, in forming the pH-adjusted water, which in turn is useful in forming scrubber process water or gypsum stack water, as needed, Resulting gypsum stacks and rainfall surge ponds, having been made relatively fluoride-free through such processing modification, and preferably also having been lined, supersede previous gypsum stacks and acid gypsum ponds—whether lined or not.

Abstract: Protective composite headgear bearing distinctive embedded marking, such as alphanumeric data, color patterns, or stylized designs. A patterned sheet is formed into headgear shape, and the patterned side is covered with solidifiable plastic composition. The outer layer of the resulting composite headgear is translucent, and the inner layer preferably opaque, so that the pattern between layers is protected from abrasion damage while readily visible to an onlooker. Distortion of the pattern by the shaping of the original flat sheet is counteracted by pre-distorting the sheet oppositely to offset it.

Abstract: Telescoping leakproof two-piece medical syringe container. An upper tubular member or "cap" closed at its top end is wide enough along its vertical extent and downward to surround a syringe plunger, and also extends laterally from near its open lower end outward and downward to that end, so as to surround a finger grip of a syringe. A lower tubular member or "body" closed at its bottom end is wide enough along its vertical extent and upward to surround a syringe barrel with optional attached needle, and also extends laterally, from near its open upper end outward and upward to that end, so as to surround the syringe finger grip. The cap member and the body member telescope snugly together, and are retained against accidental opening by one or more detents on the open end of one of the tubular members overlapping the end of the other tubular member. At least one open end is tapered relative to the other open end to ensure that a leakproof container results when telescoped together.

Abstract: Anti-combuation safeguarding of fuel and other combustible material confined in contact with a pre-existing overlying ambient atmosphere supportive of combustion. Such atmosphere is displaced by an underlying blanketing layer of heavier-than-air gaseous carbon dioxide evolving from solid non-combustible carbon dioxide located at a nearby site, from which it is distributed to site(s) of fuel or other combustible material. Such a method, together with apparatus to implement it, is applicable to fuel or other combustible material not only when stored at a fixed location, but also in a transport vehicle or craft of whatever type, and wherever located. Distributive flow of carbon dioxide to fuel sites in air, land, or marine craft may be accelerated in accordance with fuel consumption, and also in the event of occurrence of a spark or other hazard, as by applying radiation to the solid carbon dioxide so as to increase its existing rate of conversion into carbon dioxide gas.

Abstract: Food-portion surface sanitizing by liquid dipping or spraying with an antimicrobial composition appropriate for human consumption. Suitable as such sanitizing composition is an aqueous solution about two-thirds ethanol by volume, and containing minor concentrations of dissolved salt and/or tannin, each up to several percent by weight.

Abstract: Single-stage switched AC/DC converters are provided with a PFC (power factor correction) lead enhanced by inclusion of a saturable reactor and/or by connecting the PFC lead to an intermediate tap in a primary winding of the customary isolation transformer located in the DC/DC conversion part of the converter. An important resulting improvement is reduction in the voltage stress on the energy-storage (or "bulk") capacitor. Included are various circuit arrangements of resetting the saturable inductor, for designer or user selection.

Abstract: Non-fossil fuel without harmful combustion effluents, the only effluents being water and carbon dioxide. The compositions of which the fuel is made are carbon and water only, which are converted in an underwater electric arc into hydrogen and carbon monoxide as the major and predominant minor gaseous molecular constituents. The fuel also contains pseudo-molecular aggregates, as yet unidentified, of higher weight which are seemingly electromagnetically bound, instead of chemically bound, tentatively called magnecules.

Abstract: Protective composite headgear bearing distinctive embedded marking, such as alphanumeric data, color patterns, or stylized designs. A patterned sheet is formed into headgear shape, and the patterned side is covered with solidifiable plastic composition. The outer layer of the resulting composite headgear is translucent, and the inner layer preferably opaque, so that the pattern between layers is protected from abrasion damage while readily visible to an onlooker. Distortion of the pattern by the shaping of the original flat sheet is counteracted by pre-distorting the sheet oppositely to offset it.

Abstract: Improved AC/DC conversion in power supplies having an isolation transformer located between rectified-AC input and DC output leads. The transformer is given a primary winding having one or more taps, and a positive input lead is connected thereto by a corresponding number of intermediate leads, each containing selected components. The improvement not only enables power factor correction (PFC) but also desired adjustment of or control over other operational variables, such as bulk capacitor voltage stress, output regulation, and overall efficiency, often at a reduction in circuit complexity and cost.

Abstract: Pre-set maximum-flow metering and mixing valves and methods of their operation, including limiting maximum axial (longitudinal) withdrawal of a valve metering stem corresponding to its minimally outlet-occluding location at fully open valve position. A sleeved member is threaded within a mating threaded end of a valve housing and about a mating end of an axially (longitudinally) adjustable flow-metering stem member to limit its travel (as by rotation) from seated fully closed position to a fully open position, corresponding to maximum withdrawal of its tapered end portion from its occluding insertion within the fluid outlet.

Abstract: Condensate discharge line treatment to keep the line open, or to clear it if clogged. A valve is inserted into the discharge line and provided with an alternative inlet to receive flushing liquid. The valve inlet from the upstream part of the condensate discharge line is blocked by a valve member from time to time in favor of flow of the flushing liquid via the alternative inlet into the valve and out through the outlet into the downstream part of the condensate discharge line. The flushing liquid may contain a cleaning composition or even an algicide, which may be injected by manually or mechanically squeezing a flexible container of it to inject it into the flow of flushing liquid.

Abstract: Zeolytic inhibition of biocatalysis that is mediated by enzymes conducive to dysfunctional condition of a host or to contamination of a beverage or foodstuff thereof, by administering a natural or synthetic zeolite thereto. A zeolite or equivalent ion-exchanger is administered to the site of a dysfunctional condition catalyzed by an enzyme dependent upon certain ions, whereupon the ions are adsorbed thereby, thus interrupting the dysfunctional condition or abating the contamination. A therapeutic concentration of the zeolite is administered in finely divided condition, whether dry or as an aerosol or as a liquid suspension, and is effective against a variety of bacterial, fungal, protozoan, and viral infections.

Abstract: Roller skate braking actuated by the skater, by hand or foot, and aided mechanically, hydraulically, and/or electrically, whether in actuation, linkage, or braking retardation of at least a rearmost skate-supporting wheel. A braking roller having a concave portion fitting closely against the convex wheel surface is retarded to slow or stop the wheel and the skate, however the skater so actuates it.

Abstract: Extended lossless imaging method and system, useful for medical and other imaging, where a succession of values of optical density or other feature of interest may be obtained by scanning an image as an array, or may be selected otherwise. Image data values in binary form are linked end to end into a concatenated number, partitionable into a set of ordered (non-repeating) numerical terms summing to it. Position counts of such a concatenated number also may be summed, as to give a "characteristic" whole part of a real number, and may be encoded arithmetically to give a "mantissa" fractional part thereof. The derived numbers are electronically stored for retrieval directly or by reverse computation, to yield reconstituted image data values, from which a lossless replica of the original image is readily made.

Abstract: Medical syringe containment in a telescoping leakproof two-piece container for an individual medical syringe, especially as an inner container enclosing a radiopharmaceutical-filled syringe, and being enclosed in turn within a radiation-shielding outer container useful for shipment to a use location, where the respective containers are uncapped and the syringe is removed and used--whereupon the used syringe is re-inserted into the inner container before recapping, and the outer container is recapped about the recapped inner container and contents, for shipment to a disposal or reclamation site.

Abstract: Mobile hospital liquid sanitation cart for convenient and safe collection and ready transport and disposal of liquid waste from patients. A cuplike receptor on flexible tubing is extended to receive waste liquid and convey it to temporary storage in the cart. Rinse liquid is provided to the receptor to wash down the waste liquid and also is available to wash down the waste storage when at a suitable discharge location, as over a toilet bowl or other drain.